Trellix vs. CrowdStrike

Kernel

Content and Code Release

Certified and responsible
Transparent processes that respect the kernel. Certified code and content with customer control. Phased updates, staged testing, and full roll back control.

Opaque updates
Misleading practices that sideload unsigned and uncertified content into kernel. No ability to roll back updates.

Kernel Content

Operational stability
Trellix agent hooks into the kernel to load before threats upon restart. No content is stored there.

Increased risk
Updates content directly in kernel mode without full visibility with potential for operational issues.

Frequency of Kernel Updates

Respect for the kernel!
Minimal kernel footprint with validated changes published quarterly (or less) that reduce risk with full customer control.

Vendor controlled updates
Updates kernel code with every security update without transparency to customers.

Performance Impact

High performance, efficient real world utilization
25% lower system impact, broader device protection.

More than expected
Heavier kernel module, limited device support.

Threats

False Positives

Minimized for efficacy
High fidelity, prioritized alerts reducing analyst workload.

Increased triage and scoping
High number of false positives - 2.5x more false alarms than Trellix.¹

Threat Intel

Global and open perspective
Industry-leading Intelligence from billions of sensors and our Advanced Research Center. With a rich threat intelligence history, Trellix ensures quick threat detection and response while providing strategic insights to mitigate risks and strengthen long-term cybersecurity defenses.

Myopic focus
Strong focus on marketing, threat actor idolization and scare tactics of their threat intelligence overshadow the goal of empowering customers to build long-term resilience against all kinds of threats.

Investigation

No alert left behind
Automated, AI-powered 100% alert investigation to relieve alert fatigue and surface more threats to reduce MTTR.

Requires highly skilled resources
Manual workflow that doesn’t investigate all alerts increasing MTTR time.

Detection

Effective detection across the attack chain
AI-powered threat detection leveraging both native and open telemetry sources to detect and remediate at the earliest possible opportunity, reducing MTTD.

Detects after impact
Biased toward endpoint, no network, email, or data security telemetry limiting ability to see threats early in the attack cycle increasing MTTD.

Deployment

Security where you need it
Meets everyone where they are: on-premises, air-gapped, hybrid, cloud.

Misses critical business systems
Cloud only.

Architecture

Platform

Powerful, performant native and open platform
Comprehensive and open with broad set of security controls - endpoint, email, network, data security, and XDR.

Limited and endpoint-focused
Endpoint centric approach limits true visibility to only part of the attack story.

AI

10+ years of highly effective advanced analytics
Full automation with Trellix Wise using ML, AI, and GenAI.

Restricted AI experience
Manual query and response chatbot only of value for advanced analysts.

Design

Efficient and effective
Transparent, flexible microservices-based architecture for flexibility, performance with optimal threat detection where you need it.

Deceptive and heavy
Monolithic, kernel-based architecture with unbounded updates that override customer controls.

Forensics

Deep insights where you need them
Scalable cloud and on-premises forensics, powering bulk investigation, bulk forensics and bulk remediation. Works even when endpoints are offline.

Single machine at a time
Constrained approach that doesn't scale beyond 1 endpoint at a time leaving analysts to scope across the environment. Available only as cloud service via MDR.

Operations

Management

Simple, scalable effective management
Highly scalable management architecture with common policies across OSes and devices minimizes risk, shortens responses and reduces risk.

Lacks comprehensive ability across all devices
Limited device management and OS support.

Remediation

Rapid response and recovery
Enhanced rollback and remediation with AI playbooks, manual option to ensure fastest response and recovery.

Limited post-attack options
Manual and script-based mitigation. No rollback support, drastically increasing the time to return to business operations.